Over the years, motorists and pedestrians alike have experienced the terrors of ignorant drivers, inconsiderate drivers, unlicensed drivers and those who just don’t care about the rules of the road or any one on it for that matter.
These road hogs commit their deeds without a second thought. They operate as though above the law, running red lights, swinging in front of other drivers, cutting them off without any indication. They overtake on inclines and around curves without caution, and they speed, endangering the lives of everyone in their path.
There are too many of them on our roads wreaking havoc and making it harder for the rest of us to get to our destinations.
The cry from residents has been that something must be done. The general feeling has been that offensive drivers have been operating with impunity. Some have been caught and made to answer for their actions in the courts while others have gotten away scot-free. Having observed these drivers in operation, it would appear that either they have not gone through the necessary procedures for acquiring a driver’s licence, or they are not mature enough to abide by the rules of the road.
But apparently, those in authority have found a way to address the problem because, as we are witnessing at various parts of the island, the police are stopping and checking vehicles more frequently.
Over the last several days, drivers have been encountering surprise police checkpoints that have been set up at strategic spots throughout the island – Coolidge/Powell’s entrance, All Saints Road roundabout, Gray’s Farm, to name a few.
They are an inconvenience. Yes, they hold up traffic, as officers take time to examine drivers’ licences, vehicle registration papers and insurance documents. Some fume, others fret and still others become belligerent. But the exercises are good for more than one purpose. Not only do they weed the licence-free drivers off our roads, but they also help to remove unsafe, unlicensed vehicles as well.
One less unlicensed driver or vehicle on the streets will make for safer traffic conditions. After all, why should they be permitted on the roads among the licensed who would have spent a substantial amount of their time familiarising themselves with the rules of the road, road signage, and all the elements of road protocol? It’s quite unfair for drivers who would have gone to the trouble to successfully demonstrate, through written and practical testing, that they are knowledgeable of how to handle themselves behind the wheel to have to jeopardise their safety with reckless people who just take the wheel without having glimpsed the driver’s manual.
The stop and search exercises have exposed even more than road offenders. According to the police Strategic Communications Department, in the last couple of road checks over the weekend, police recovered a vehicle reported stolen and discovered four rounds of .375 ammunition. Before that, they netted two 12-guage shotguns and a quantity of controlled drugs.
Any operation, which will help the officers in their fight against crime, is more than welcomed.
The officers’ increased visibility on the roads has multiple spinoffs. It encourages drivers to buckle up and slow down. We are all aware that insurance premiums are directly correlated to the number of accidents the insured person is involved in. So if lawmen are able through their vigilance to keep accidents to a minimum this will be good for John Public.
It’s about time we hike the level of accountability among road offenders here. In more developed countries, various types of technology are used to promote road safety. In the United States, it is not uncommon for drivers to be mailed speeding tickets after a camera or scanner would have caught them in action and picked up their licence plate numbers. Imagine what traffic would be like if we had those capabilities here.
Until we can boast such equipment, we will just have to support our lawmen in their crime-fighting efforts.
Police stop and searches are necessary inconveniences. After all, we’re sure everyone would agree, especially after Tuesday’s road fatality, that safer roads are everyone’s business.
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